title: Basal skull fracture with traumatic polycranial neuropathy and occluded left carotid artery: significance of fractures along the course of the carotid artery.
abstract: A patient who survived with traumatic multiple cranial nerve palsies and occluded internal carotid artery associated with a basal skull fracture that involved the carotid canal is described. A literature review indicates that a wide variety of injuries can occur to the carotid artery as it passes through a fractured skull base. Basal fractures involving the course of the carotid artery reflect a significant risk of carotid injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo 43614-5807, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Mehelas
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Savolaine
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Dougherty
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003391:Cranial Nerves; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000293:injuries*; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed